The Challenge of Recognising Neurodivergence vs. Trauma

Only after discovering my autism and ADHD could I make sense of trauma symptoms

For decades, I went around in circles, trying to work out the source of my difficulties. Being alert for signs of danger in every environment, falling out with friends for reasons I couldn’t understand, feeling overwhelmed by unexpected noises and crowds, and needing to rest for hours after any kind of socialising—routine features of life that frustrated me and often filled me with shame. I knew I’d suffered trauma since childhood, but it was only when I discovered I’m autistic with ADHD (AuDHD) that it all started to make sense.

The is a long one in psychology, and neurodivergence, such as autism and ADHD, is an often confusing piece of the puzzle. It’s hard to get through the human life experience without dealing with some form of trauma, and being neurodivergent makes the picture even more complex. Although neurodivergence includes both innate (e.g. autism) and acquired neurodivergence (such as PTSD/C-PTSD), there are many areas where the boundaries between innate neurotypes and trauma symptoms blur.

To thrive in a world of change and challenge, particularly in today’s fraught political climate, we need to understand how trauma and…